Latest Editorials

For any liberal to entertain winning the Democratic nomination for president these days, there are some important boxes to be checked, including taking on America’s system of law and order. Now Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has begun checking the boxes.

Zuckerberg has hired Hillary Clinton’s pollster. He’s hired Barack Obama’s campaign manager. He’s even visited the first presidential caucus state of Iowa. And he’s pandering to the left’s machine by funding a campaign that aims to get rid of our nation’s bail system.

In the dangerous push to end our current bail system, liberals like Zuckerberg are arguing that people across America are being wrongly held in jail because they can’t afford to post bail. This is ridiculous. Our bail system is in place to keep law-abiding Americans safe and to ensure that a person accused of a crime actually appears in court so justice is served.

States that have attempted to pass bail reform policies are seeing the failures of unsecured release up close. Harris County in Texas is fighting a federal lawsuit claiming its bail schedule is unconstitutional and that it keeps poor people in jail.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal issued a federal order requiring Harris County to make immediate changes to its pretrial release system. The order requires the sheriff’s office to release anyone charged with a misdemeanor offense on unsecured release within 24 hours.

According to Harris County data since the order took effect, 32 percent of defendants released on unsecured bond have failed to appear for court, compared to only 4 percent released on a surety bond. Failures to appear cause havoc and long delays in the criminal justice system. Justice cannot be served if the accused does not appear for court.